


The Breaking Point

by axolotlnerd-campcamp (axolotlNerd)



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Crying, Gen, Max's Parents Are Bastards, Minor Injuries, but that's kind of a given, request from tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-23 16:09:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18553201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axolotlNerd/pseuds/axolotlnerd-campcamp
Summary: Max has always had thick skin, and not once has he let anyone think he’s anything other than resilient and caustic. But after an accident, he shows something else.





	The Breaking Point

The counselors cabin was quiet, orange sunset light filtering through the window and stretching across the floor to Max’s feet as they hung from the too-soft green chair he’d been sat in. David had walked away for a moment to find the first aid kit, having hung up Max’s torn and mud-coated hoodie on the corner of the chair.

Max swore to himself as he sat there, shoulder tense and drawn up. He wished he could hide in himself, but he knew from experience that that wouldn’t help. It would just add a wall around all of the thoughts in his head, trapping them in there.

Some bitter part of him wished to go home, and he swore at that, too.

The camp was nearly empty, excepting only him and the counselors. Even Quartermaster had gone home at this point. The only reason anyone was here right now was because of him and his shitty, negligent parents.

_ How fucking tone deaf are you, _ Max remembered yelling, and he could still feel the words on his tongue. Waiting was always the worst part, sitting there and knowing that it would be hours until his parents realized they had something they’d needed to do, and he knew it would happen again. It always did.

David had reached out to him, saying his name and trying to offer any comfort at all, but he’d swatted the redhead’s hand away as he gritted his teeth.

_ Just leave me alone, _ Max seethed, and he turned away to walk down a thin trail in the woods, hoping that being anywhere else might distract him for long enough to tamp it all down.

But the leftover rain from yesterday had sunken into the ground, and just as he’d reached the crest of a hill it fell out from under him. 

Now he was covered in dirt and scrapes and an awful stinging feeling along the mottled marks of mud and blood on his forearm. He wished he had his hoodie back — he needed his armor.

David came back around the corner, holding the first aid kit and a wet cloth and kneeling down in front of the chair where Max sat. “Can I see your arm?” He asked, and Max held it out without a single complaint or comment. David was careful as he wiped the dirt away from his cuts, and when he opened the half empty first-aid kit he was surprised to see Max staying quiet. Normally he would have made a sharp remark about Campbell being too cheap to spring for basic safety, but now he was quiet.

When David had first found Max, he was pulling himself off the ground silently. Of course he’d panicked, running to the bottom of the hill and rambling, asking if he was okay.

_ Jesus Christ, _ Max had hissed quietly. He didn’t sound angry or exasperated like he usually did when he said that.  _ Just fuck off. _

David picked him up without saying anything, and Max didn’t say anything as he was pulled to the counselors cabin.

A quiet sniffle brought David out of his head, and he looked up to Max. He was looking down at his feet, eyebrows furrowed as usual but something was off.

“Max?”

“What?” Max replied, clipped and vicious.

David paused, focussing for a moment on putting neosporin over the cut. Max barely winced at the feeling, but David still noticed. “Are you okay?”

“I’m  _ fine,” _ Max said. The venom in his voice was siphoned by the crack in it, the watery sound of it that made him want to lash out again. He didn’t have his armor, didn’t have any layer of detachment to protect him, and all he wanted to do was hide in his hood and let time take the memory of this away.

David felt a sad twist in his stomach as he pulled out the wrap of bandages, trying to think of what to say as he bandaged the scratches. 

“It’s okay to cry, Max.” He comforted, and finished wrapping the wound.

Max didn’t respond for a while, pulling his arm back. “Yeah. Okay.” It was all he could think to say, because everything he had learned so far contradicted that. But it felt good to hear.

David pulled another chair over to the one Max sat in, turning on the small television and putting on whatever it was that Gwen had left in the DVD player. When he sat down, he leaned over the arm of the chair, rubbing Max’s back as he wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.

“What’s the plan?” Max asked. His voice was quiet, nearly a whisper, and it was usually him that came up with the plans but right now he didn’t know what to do.

David didn’t really either, but plans didn’t seem very important. He’d figure it out, he told himself, not knowing whether or not he’d hold to that. “Don’t worry about it for now. We’ll deal with it later.”

Max nodded and laid down on the stiff arm of the chair, sighing and focussing on the pale light of the TV as the cabin began to take in the night air that was beginning to settle. He was still sore and bruised, still upset that his parents had failed to show up before nightfall, and though he felt a knot in his throat and heat behind his eyes this was okay. He liked the hand on his back and watching badly written horror movies, and the sound of cicadas and crickets outside.

He wiped the tears from his eyes again, sighing lightly and enjoying the moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I was gone for so long! Life is busy as always, I have finals coming up and I got a job and shit's just wild! But regardless, I have this story finally finished, and for people who like Gwenmom I have another one I'm gonna post right after this, so things are looking up! 
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading, and feel free to send an ask to **@more-camp-camp-fic-please** for a request!
> 
> (P.S. If you read my other stuff, check the notes on the other story I'm going to be posting, because I have good news!)


End file.
